Over the course of the holiday week, we at College Basketball Talk will be detailing what we believe will be the New Year’s Resolutions of some of the nation’s most talented, most disappointing, and thoroughly enigmatic teams. What can we say, we’re in a giving mood.

WHAT DOES BYU PROMISE TO DO MORE OF?: Play with greater efficiency on the offensive end.

Why it will happen:

Dave Rose has some talented offensive weapons at his disposal, most notably the guard tandem of Matt Carlino and Tyler Haws. That duo has combined to average 38.1 points per game this season, with Haws leading the way at 22.2 ppg while also shooting 45.0% from the field. Guard Kyle Collinsworth and forward Eric Mika are also averaging in double figures, and the fact of the matter is that this group is more talented than their efficiency numbers would indicate (9th in the WCC in offensive efficiency). They’re too good to not snap out of their current funk.

Why it won’t happen:

You hate to put a team’s issues on one guy, but Carlino (37.5% FG) has a possession percentage of 29.5% but has the team’s lowest offensive rating by far. Of the six other Cougars to have a possession percentage of at least 14% per kenpom.com, Collinsworth has the lowest offensive rating at 102.7. Carlino’s offensive rating: 94.2. In their loss to Loyola Marymount on Saturday, Carlino and Haws combined to shoot 8-for-28 from the field (6-for-22 3PT) and they’ll continue to see a lot of attention as WCC play wears along. And with that being the case, the Cougars could be in for some long nights offensively if those two aren’t on.

WHAT DOES BYU SWEAR THEY WILL DO LESS OF?: Miss free throws.

Why it will happen:

The Cougars have capable shooters, so it’s difficult to see them continue to shoot 67.1% from the charity stripe as the season wears on. Prior to the current four-game stretch of not shooting better than 70% from the foul line, BYU enjoyed five straight games in which they shot better than that mark.

Why it won’t happen:

While Haws leads the team in free throw attempts and is shooting 86.7% from the line, Carlino’s more of a jump shooter who’s only fourth on the team in attempted free throws (58 FTAs, making 70.7%). The two players between Carlino and Haws are Mika (84 attempts) and Collinsworth (81), and they’re shooting 58.3% and 59.3%, respectively. Mika and Collinsworth lead the Cougars in free throw rate, so obviously they’re more likely to end up on the line than either Carlino or Haws. In the case of Mika he’s going to continue to get fouled as the season wears on due to his strength and ability to score in the paint, and that could lead to points being left on the board.